Sat 13 Apr 2019
A depleted Wallingford side put in a decent showing at Bicester as they ended their season with a loss.
Given that there was a stronger 1st XV off the pitch injured than on the pitch, this wasn't a bad performance from Wallingford. They scored some excellent tries, notably Nathan Chapman's solo special, and but for an interception and an obscene bounce of the ball, could have ended up taking the points in an open and entertaining game.
It's very much been a season of two halves for the 1st XV. Despite losing our 13 (Botting) and 10 (Swainston) in the opening two games of the season, we had a stellar first half of the season, top of the league for much of it, winning all but two games.
The second half of the season was the polar opposite. Losing Pete McKinley to retirement, and the likes of John Hayden, Jackson Sayce, Ian Jeffreys and Max Suttner to lengthy injuries, Wallingford struggled to maintain their form.
That said, heads never dropped and the players still enjoyed their rugby (maybe not as much at Marlow or Stow!), which is a credit to the character of the team.
There have been plenty of strong showings throughout the team, with Carl Tappin, Ian Jeffreys, Nathan Chapman, Lawson Dallimore and Dan Sadler showing their quality in every game, the likes of Pete Holton and Dave Baxter rolling back the years, and also some excellent displays from the younger players, namely Max Suttner, Crain Irwin and Matt Millard.
Another enjoyable season lads, enjoy the summer off, and we'll see you all at pre-season.
